BORACAY ISLAND, Malay, Aklan—Task Force Boracay has formed teams to make thorough inspections of each establishment on the island if they possess the necessary documents and papers that allow them to operate their business.
This developed as the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) found “only six out of the 110 establishments that they have surveyed or inspected [here on Boracay]…have Fire Safety Inspection Certificates [FSIC]—and the remaining 104 do not have any FSIC,” said Interior Assistant Secretary for Plans and Programs Epimaco V. Densing III in a news briefing here last week.
He stressed that before a business establishment is issued a Mayor’s Permit, the BFP first has to issue an FSIC. “So, how come [these establishments] got a permit to operate?” he asked. In the last two years alone, several fires have hit retail establishments and a posh resort on the island.
Members of the inspection team, aside from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the BFP are the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and local government units (LGUs). “We’re already forming teams…. so that we can one-by-one inspect each establishment, no exemptions, [to see] whether they have the necessary environmental clearance certificates [ECC], whether they have the complete permits issued by the local government, whether they have a fire safety inspection certificate and…. facilities, specifically the waste-water treatment.”
The DILG official made this disclosure after questions were raised about prominent property developers, such as DMCI Homes Inc. and five-star resorts like Shangri-La Resorts and Spa occupying forested areas. During the Senate hearing on Boracay issues on March 2, the DENR’s provincial unit revealed that DMCI’s Alta Vista property in Barangay Yapak, has been sitting on forestland. (See “DENR chief wants to keep Boracay open,” in the BusinessMirror, March 3, 2018.)
He also said only a portion of D’Mall, a popular retail area, would be demolished for standing on a wetland. “A portion of D’Mall is in the wetland. That portion, definitely will have to be recovered by the government.”
Densing also revealed to the BusinessMirror over the weekend, more changes in the general guidelines governing the closure of the island. He said the designated swimming area for locals starting April 26, is now “an area across Willy’s [Beach Resort],” along Station 1. The earlier designated swimming area was Angol Point but stakeholders had pointed out during last week’s workshop conference with Task Force Boracay members that there were coral reefs in the area, and would be difficult to reach in case of accidents and an ambulance is needed.
He also said there would be “no floating structures up to 3 kilometers from the shoreline,” instead of the previously announced 15 kms. He added that the only entry-exit points will be the Caticlan and Cagban jetty ports.
Earlier, Tourism Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Frederick M. Alegre said the final guidelines for the closure of Boracay, will be released today (Monday). President Duterte ordered Boracay closed for six months starting April 26 to make way for its rehabilitation.
During the news conference, Alegre announced that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) “will now be the lead agency in the civil works that will be done on the main road. Effective on April 26, the DPWH will start to work on the road widening all the way from the jetty Port and that is about 3 to 4 kilometers.”
He added that the DPWH has also offered “to take over the Tieza’s [Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority] pipe-laying projects, which is good because now there is a single agency that’s taking the lead for that, while Tieza…. has started work on the discharge water drain line to Bulabog.”
The drainage pipe to Bulabog was constructed to allow rainwater to flow out into the sea. But it was discovered that several establishments had illegally connected to it and were discharging refuse and septic waste through it, causing the high levels of E. coli contamination of Bulabog Beach.
In a belated response, meanwhile, DMCI Homes said it “built Alta Vista de Boracay faithfully complying with all procedural and environmental measures set forth by local and national government agencies that are necessary for the sustainable development and protection of Boracay Island. These include an Environmental Compliance Certificate 0607-0802-224-602 issued by the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau on August 2, 2007.”
The property developer added that the project “was also issued a preliminary local and locational clearance by the Municipality of Malay, Aklan and development permit by the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board.”
DMCI Homes said it has replied to the show cause order issued by the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources “by submitting pertinent copies of its permits. Also, a copy of the transfer certificate of title duly registered to it was furnished to the said office.”
During the Senate hearing here in March, it was also revealed that over 170 establishments were issued permits to operate by the municipal office despite lacking valid ECCs, while D’Mall, Seven Seas Resort on Puka Beach and Kingfisher Hotel are built on wetlands. The government intends to recover at least three of the five missing wetlands here by August.
Image credits: Ma. Stella Arnaldo